Bear spotted near RI-Mass. border

WOONSOCKET, R.I.—Residents in Cumberland and Woonsocket have recently reported seeing a black bear.

It follows sightings of a bear in North Attleborough and Mansfield.

A bear attacked bird feeders at the Gagne family home in North Attleborough.

“I thought it was a coyote or maybe some kids fooling around in the neighborhood,“ Barbara Gagne said.

The family caught the bear on video when it came back a second time.

“He was a little startled as you can imagine,“ Gagne said.

Just after sunset Tuesday, a Woonsocket police officer noticed what appeared to be an animal walking down the street near Dawn Boulevard and Sunrise Avenue.

“He put his lights on to further investigate and recognized it as a black bear,“ Lt. Eugene Jalette said. “It was right in the street, wasn’t startled. It didn’t run when he saw lights. It looked like the bear was comfortable in area.“

The bear was a little too close for comfort for residents like Joyce Fontaine.

“I wouldn’t expect a bear to be wondering around here,“ Fontaine said.

The bear was last spotted running into a wooded area on Bound Avenue near the Cumberland line.

Police in all the communities where the bear was seen are warning residents to be on the alert.

“Don’t approach. Just call local authorities,“ Jalette said.

Police said residents should keep an eye on their pets.  And police said don’t leave open containers of food outside that might attract animals.